In an effort to tap into the latest youthful trends, more and more game companies are jumping on the Facebook bandwagon. The past few weeks gave seen Ubisoft and LucasArts eschew press releases and announce game delays and launch dates via the ubiquitous social networking site. On a larger scale, Sony and Microsoft have incorporated Facebook into the dashboards of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, although the latter requires an Xbox Live Gold account for access.

　　"This just in: Game publishers use Facebook to cultivate a youthful air."

　　Today, Blizzard Entertainment announced that it, too, will be integrating Facebook with its online gaming service, Battle.net. Starting with the July 27 launch of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, players will be able to import their Facebook friends into friends lists on their Battle.net accounts. The feature will also be added to the ongoing Starcraft II beta test, which can be accessed by preordering the real-time strategy sequel at GameStop. (Orders cannot be canceled once GameStop sends out the beta key.)

　　Blizzard emphasized that importation of Facebook friends was just the "first step" in Battle.net's integration with the social network. The developer publisher promised that "other Facebook-related features on Battle.net will be announced at a later date" but did not go into specifics. It did not say if the features would be rolled out with the later installments in the three-part real-time strategy sequel.

　　Starcraft II is the first new stand-alone game from Blizzard Entertainment since World of Warcraft, which has dominated the subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing market since its 2004 launch. Wall Street analysts are bullish on the RTS game's potential sales, with Pacific Crest Securities' Evan Wilson predicting that the game will sell more than 6 million copies. Wedbush's Michael Pachter believes that, combined with the launch of the latest WOW expansion, Cataclysm, Blizzard could see game sales of 12 million units this year.

　　For more on Starcraft II, check out GameSpot's recent hands-on preview, as well as an evaluation of its beta performance.

　　You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

　　Click To Unmute

　　Starcraft II Feature Interview: Single-Player Details and Beta Reaction

　　Tears Of The Kingdom Is A Technological Marvel

　　Resident Evil 4 Is A Perfect RemakeHow Alan Wake II Made Me Face My Fear of Horror GamesGameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023Thompson: The Pop Culture Icon’s Strange Legacy - LoadoutFirearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerHow Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight Trailer

　　Share

　　LinkEmbed

　　Size:640 × 360480 × 270

　　Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop

　　Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

　　Sign up or Sign in now!

　　Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

　　This video has an invalid file format.

　　00:00:00

　　HTML5

　　Auto HD High Low

　　Report a problem

　　Sorry, but you can't access this content!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

　　By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

　　Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

　　enter